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Mountain ballads have been a part of American mountain culture since the earliest English and Scottish settlers moved there more than 200 years ago. They were passed down through the oral tradition, as they were in reporter Laurin Penland's family --but that tradition is close to extinct in the U.S.

Want a great conversation-starter with a fan of Latin jazz? Ask, "What's your favorite pairing of conga and timbales?" Many long-standing percussion duos display seemingly telepathic interplay — the intensity of a runaway train mixed with the kind of swing that makes hips move by themselves. Picking five was a chore, but here they are.

Attempting to make your way into jazz is never easy, but the jazz writer and cultural critic Gary Giddins has rendered it a bit more approachable. His new book, Jazz, is a new guide for novice listeners and longtime fans alike. Giddins picks five songs from his list of 101 entry-way jazz recordings.

One of the beauties of New Orleans piano music is that once you hear it, you'll know it whenever you encounter it again. It's Mardi Gras week in New Orleans, and we're going to join in the celebration with a brief but broad overview of some of the Crescent City's many extraordinary pianists.

Virginia Jaramillo's 'Altotron' // 'Some Bright Morning' by Albert Brumley, arr. Caroline Shaw

Hangama Amiri's 'Reclining Woman on a Sofa' // 'My Ineffable Love for You' by Qais Essar

A celebration too honor this year's NEA Jazz Masters award recipients, including Amina Claudine Myers, Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard and Willard Jenkins. Watch live on Sat., April 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Peter Malick Group with Norah Jones; The beautiful dreams of Doug Hoekstra; Hindustani slide guitarist Debashish Battacharya with Bob Brozman; African electronica from Mamani Keitaand more.

In a year when Hollywood's splashy sequels are continually delayed, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin delivered a big-budget revenge thriller that toes the line between authoritativeness and absurdity.

From Hanukkah and Christmas to Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve, enjoy music fit for any celebration, including holiday performances recorded in Kansas City.